Celebrating Fat Tuesday in SF
Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday celebrations will be taking place across the country and here in the Bay Area in a few weeks. And if you have a craving for some of that amazing Southern cuisine, there are plenty of places to try right here in San Francisco.
Brenda’s French Soul Food: Chef-owner and New Orleans native Brenda Buenviaje brings her familiarity with Southern culture into her menu at the popular spot on Polk Street. Customers line up at all hours of the day, waiting for fresh beignets, gumbo or red beans and rice. The restaurant recently completed its expansion as well, meaning more seats for those looking to get their fix of Creole cuisine. Brenda’s French Soul Food is located at 652 Polk Street.
Boxing Room: Chef Justin Simoneux grew up in Southern Louisiana and brings his Cajun and Creole cooking background to Hayes Valley at Boxing Room. The Southern influence is evident from the fried alligator, hushpuppies and gumbo as starters to the entrees like the po-boy and the southern fried chicken. Serving up lunch, dinner and brunch, Boxing Room has been an instant hit in SF. Boxing Room is located at 399 Grove Street.
1300 at Fillmore: Chef David Lawrence has a very unique take on Southern food. Growing up in England, he’s never visited the South and plans to keep it that way. Instead, he presents a unique mix of both Southern cuisine (shrimp and grits, hush puppies) with classic fare (lamb shank, ribeye steak). 1300 Fillmore is located at 1300 Fillmore Street.
Front Porch: Chef Mark Goodger offers the ultimate in comfort food with his menu at Front Porch. From the gumbo and fried pickles to entrees like the shrimp etouffee and fried chicken by the bucket, Goodger has been dishing out classic southern hospitality for over five years. Front Porch is located at 65a 29th Street.
Queen’s Louisiana Po-Boy Cafe: New Orleans is known for plenty of dishes, including gumbo, beignets, etouffee and crawfish. But perhaps the biggest import is the po-boy sandwich. Queen’s offers up plenty of po-boys (fried chicken, fried shrimp, fried catfish and the special oyster po-boy are among the choices) and plenty of other Southern classics (chicken meals, jambalaya, red beans and rice). Queen’s Louisiana Po-Boy Cafe is located at 3030 San Bruno Avenue.
The great thing about San Francisco is there are plenty of implanted chefs who started in other regions of the United States and bring their “home cooking” back to the Bay. And fortunately, that includes plenty of options to get your fill of wonderful, amazing Southern food. Enjoy Fat Tuesday!!
